Peters



(No Model.) I

. J. L. THOMSON.

PROCESS OF MAKING RIVBTS.

No. 423,884. Patented Mar. 18, 1890.

WITNESSES: i ENTOR I UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JUDSON. L. THOMSON, OF SYRACUSE, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE JUDSON L.THOMSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

PROCESS OF MAKING RIVETS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.-423,884, dated March18, 1890.

Application filed July 1, 1889.

To all whom it 17mg concern.-

Be it known that I, J UDSON L. THOMSON, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in a Process of Making Rivets, of which the following,taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to the manufacture of sheet-metal rivets of theform described and claimed in my application filed June 21,1889, SerialNo. 315,123; and it consists in an improved method of forming saidrivets, which will be readily understood by reference to the descriptionand the accompanying drawings, illustrating said process, and to theclaims hereinafter given.

In describing my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating the various steps of my process and formin g apart of this specification, in which drawings like letters indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an elevation of a rivet-blank consisting of a centralenlarged portion and oppositely-arranged arms. Figs. 2 and 3 arerespectively plan and elevation of the second step in my process,consisting of holding the central portion of said central enlargement ina certain plane and elevating the surrounding edge of said enlargement,and also the oppositely-arranged arms, into an upright position abovesaid plane. Figs. 4 and 5 are respectively plan and elevation of thethird step in my process, consisting in applying pressure from theopposite sides of said upwardlyextending arms or rivet-prongs andapproximating them together and lapping the upright edge of the centralenlargement of the rivet-blank upon the central portion thereof. Figs. 6and 7 are respectively plans and elevation of the rivet after the finaloperation of applying pressure to force said lapped edge of therivet-head toward the adjacent portion of said head, and thus form thecompleted rivet; and Figs. Sand 9 are respectively plan and elevation ofa different form of rive-t produced by my improved process.

My process is not dependent upon any particular form of mechanism, andas I do not wish the same to be restricted thereto I have Serial No.316,167. (No model.)

in mypresent application illustrated no form of mechanism for carryingout my process; but in order that the said process may be readilyunderstood I have illustrated each step thereof by a separate figure.

The rivet-blank A is stamped or out from sheet metal by any desirable orwell-known form and construction of stamping or cutting machine, andsaid blank consists of the cen- 6o tral enlarged. portion A, from whichthe rivethead is formed, and the oppositely-arranged arms B B, fromwhich the prongs are formed.

The first step of my process consists in holding the center of theenlarged central portion A of the rivet-blank in a certain plane andthen forcing upward the surrounding edge a of the part A and theoppositelyarranged arms B B. This operation may be effected by anydesired form or construction of mechanismas, for instance, a pair ofmale and female dies, one of which bears against the center of saidportion A and holds it in the desired plane, and the other of which isprovided with a socket of the desired diameter to force said edge andoppositely-arranged arms upward, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Thesecond step consists in applying pressure to the opposite sides of theupturned rivetprongs to force them together, as illustrated 8c in Fig.4. In this case the pressure is not applied to the head to, since it isdesirable to form the head of the same diameter as the central depressedportion of the part A of the rivet-blank. This operation might beeifected by oppositely-arranged formers or dies of the exact contourdesired, so that when the rivet-blank is subjected to the pressure ofsaid dies or formers the prongs B are sufficiently approximated to forma shank of the desired diameter. 1 then prefer to subject the top andbottom of the rivet-head ct to the pressure of oppositely-arranged diesor formers in order to force the lapped-over portion a of theenlargement A upon the adjacent central part in order to effect a neaterconstruction of rivet.

WVith the form of rivet-prongs b illustrated in the drawings it will beunderstood that the oppositely-arranged arms BB are tapered IOO when theblank is being stamped or cut, and that said prongs are of such a widthas to allow a space to intervene between their adjacent edges when therivet is formed, as illustrated in the drawings.

After constrnetin g the rivet, as described, I prefer to provide theprongs I) with a cuttingedge I), which may be formed by beveling thesame from the inside, but which is, as illustrated, preferably formed byremoving the outside portion of the extremities of said prongs, and thusforming a central cuttingedge.

A rivet formed by my improved process has a space intervening betweenthe adjacent edges of the rivet-prongs, which allows the rive/ahead tobe tightly contacted with the article riveted and prevents the unduecom-- pression of said article between the rivetprongs. It will be alsoobserved that the rivet-prongs are preferably tapering from theirextremities toward the head; but it will be understood that I do notlimit my process to the forming of any particularconstruction ofrivet-prongs.

At Figs. 8 and 9 1 have shown a construction of rivet in which theforming device is so shaped as to force the rivet-prongs into a concaveform; but it will be understood that this is no departure from myprocess. It will also be evident that I do not limit my invention to thetime or described order of the steps thereof, and it will beparticularly understood that the providing of the rivet-prongs with theeutting-edges may take place at any desired time in the manufacturethereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A process of manufacturing rivets, the same consisting in cutting orstamping from sheet metal a blank composed of a central enlarged portionand oppositely-arranged arms,

subjecting said blank to the action of dies or pressing mechanism forholding the central part of said enlarged portion of the blank in oneplane and turning the surrounding edge and oppositely-arranged arms intoan upright position above said plane, and then subjecting the oppositesides of said upwardly-extending arms to the action of dies or pressingmechanism for forcing them toward each other, so as to leave awide spacebetween said arms and form the rivet-shank of less diameter than therivet-head, substantially as set forth.

2. A process of manufacturing rivets, the same consisting in cutting orstamping from sheet metal a blank composed of a central enlarged portionand oppositelyarranged arms, subjecting said blank to the action of diesor pressing mechanism for holding the central part of said enlargedportion of the blank in one plane and turning the surrounding edge andoppositely-arranged arms into an upright position above said plane, thensubjecting the opposite sides of said upwardly-extending arms to theaction of dies or pressing mechanism for forcing them toward each other,so as to leave a space between said arms, and finally removing the metalfrom the extremities of said prongs for forming a cutting-edgethereupon, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, this 15th day of June, 1889.

JUDSON L. THOMSON.

\Vitnesses:

CLARK II. NORTON, M. BAXTER.

